1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adjustable magnetic snap fasteners.
2. Description of Prior Art
Magnetic snap fasteners have been used as closures for many years. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,126 and 5,933,926, issued to Reiter, entitled xe2x80x9cMagnetic Snap Fastenersxe2x80x9d, relate to magnetic snap fasteners of different configurations. These fasteners comprise a male and a female section which are magnetically coupled at a single position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,294, issued to Morita, entitled xe2x80x9cEngageable Article Using Permanent Magnetxe2x80x9d, as reexamined and confirmed under Reexamination Certificate B1 4,453,294, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,891, also issued to Morita, entitled xe2x80x9cMagnetic Lock Closure,xe2x80x9d as reexamined and confirmed under Reexamination Certificate B2 4,021,891, relate to a magnetic closure wherein a solid projection on a first half of the closure engages a solid projection on a second half of the closure, which also contains a toroidal magnet. The Morita ""294 and Morita ""891 patents essentially describe the same product. Further, British Patent Specification No. 1,519,246, published Jul. 26, 1978, also discloses a magnetic closure. None of these patents for magnetic snap fasteners allow for multiple closed positions. Therefore, a user cannot make tighter or looser the article to which the fastener is attached.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic snap fastener that has at least two of either or both of its male and female sections, or its positive and negative sections, which when put into contact allow the fastener to be closed at more than one position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic snap fastener that allows an article to which it is attached, to be fastened more loosely or tightly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic snap fastener which can be easily fabricated for sale at a commercially reasonable price.
To those ends, the instant invention relates to a fastener having either a plurality of female magnetic snap sections or a plurality of male magnetic snap sections so that the male and female sections of the fastener may be fastened at any one of a number of possible positions. Alternatively, the fastener has either a plurality of positive magnetic snap sections or a plurality of negative magnetic snap sections which may be fastened at any one of a number of possible positions. These type fasteners are readily adjustable.